Don't Feed the Trash Can

I've been guilty of it, and I'm sure some of you have too. Cooking a specific meal for the whole family when you know half won't be touched. The possible solutions can take more time and some can even save time, either way, you're less likely to feed the trash can. You can cook separate meals, and try to get the kids to eat what they claim they hate only every once in a while. Or you can even change dishes slightly, and that will make all the difference between a battle you can't win, and a full little tummy.

There are a number of routes I had to go through with mine. Sometimes I wanted something different, and cooked just enough for me, and made them what they liked. And some things just grew on them. In the toddler years, they loved hot dogs and cheese burgers, sans the bun. (They still like them, but now they eat them with the buns, and complain if on regular bread.) And actually, when I did it this way, they ate more, and got full. At three and five-years-old my son and daughter could inhale 3 or 4 dogs no prob, it's a surprise they're not overweight.

I made cheese burgers, no bun, and they both scarfed down two, sometimes three each, when I could barley handle one on bun. I also found out that they liked salisbury steaks just as much. But things like onions, my son grew to like, and for years, neither would touch any type of beans except green beans. It's taken eight years for my daughter to appreciate the goodness of baked beans, eight whole years! Veggies and side dishes in general depended on who really liked them, thus the other automatically decided they didn't, except for macaroni. So, I gave them double servings of what they do like.

Also, I use the power cheese has over them to mine and their benefit. Eating broccoli, cauliflower, even brussel sprouts became non-issues once I added cheese. I can even manage to get them to eat raw broccoli, cauliflower and carrots with ranch dressing, a little fattening, but they burn it off quickly and get the vitamins which would normally get cooked out. Also, when they were little, some foods ended up mostly on the floor, then into the trash. So I got a little creative.

I started making communal meals. I would pretend to make something just for me, and not feed them. And naturally, they looked at me like, "So, where's mine?" Call it child psychology. Naturally, as all kids do, they think whatever you have is much better than anything you give them, even if it's the exact same thing. So, they two, would hover around my plate or bowl like little birdies begging mom for the worm. And in fact, much more food went into their stomachs this way.

Eventually, the bowls got bigger and bigger, until they reached a point where they wanted to eat on their own. I usually did this with one dish meals like spaghetti (saves a lot of cleaning time), cream of wheat (everybody got their own toast) and even oatmeal. Yes, oatmeal. It seems that around half the population hates it. I never understood why, until I found out how most is prepared.

Many serve it plain and or cook it until it's mushy and resembles something from a horror movie.--Ew. I, as most in my family do, cook it just enough to absorb water, maybe the consistency of cooked rice, but with a little more water. Then, add a bit of brown sugar and butter, the kids like a little milk added after it's prepared too, as I did when I was a kid.

As I like to say, don't make life more difficult then you have to, for most of us, life is hard enough by itself. Make it easier, don't sweat it, they'll come around eventually, and you can save in the meantime. And if you still feel like it's not enough, there are always vitamins to fill in the holes.



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A Job for Your Money

I was just on forum, it's not called a forum, but that's basically what it is. I was delving out advise on things I know about like I normally do. The question posed was about where one should put their money, stocks weren't mentioned, so it was easy for me to answer. And it occured to me that my answer was something I haven't covered here.

I don't really know much about stocks, so I'll leave that up to the experts or those who do know. But I do know about savings accounts and the like. First, I'll cover everything else here. I don't do bonds, yes the interest rate is more, they're usually the safest way, but by the time they've matured, I'm not sure it would be worth it. Keep in mind that the cost of living goes up every year, and the dollar depriciates in value along with it.

I've yet to open a CD, but as far as I know, you're stuck with the original amount, so I suppose you'll know exactly how much you'll get before you get it. I won't claim to be non objective in this area, but who can be all the time? My savings spot of choice are MMA's aka Money Market Accounts. True, with most, you have to open these accounts with 5K, and in most cases, the opening amount is also the minimum balance to avoid fees. Some have an introductory rate of maybe .00325 per month for the first three months, then goes down to .001 in the fourth month. But there are lots of upsides.

You can add as much as you want, and earn interest on every single cent from the day you deposit it. You can watch it grow each month even if you don't have constant access to a computer. And in many cases, the rate rises at certain amounts, for example, 10K, 20K and so on. The rate might not look so hot, but when you multiply 5k times .00325, you get $16.25. Which, no matter what, is more than what you had to begin with.

Then imagine if you won the lottery for let's say, 5 mil, and started out at that rate. That would be $16,250 per month minimum! The little cents do indeed count.


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Round Em Up!

I can't do it now, (I'll let you guess why). But I used to make it a point when I made entries in my checkbook, to round purchases up to the next dollar, and deposits down. Your reason to do so may be to save money. My original reason was to cover my butt just in case I lost a receipt or forgot to list a check I wrote. Remember, I've over drafted before, and I was terrified to do it again.

It can be extremely helpful if you don't touch it, and just let it build. And quite frankly, amazing to watch how quickly it grows. It might even save you a lot of headache in the long run should you have an unexpected expense. It's an easy way to save, but also it makes balancing your checkbook much easier. So, from doing something very simple, there are lots of benefits.



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Yummy Dollars

Some of us do it without thinking about it. We go on our usual grocery trip and get those cute little multi packs of chips for the kids' lunch. They're convient, and everybody's happy, except your wallet. Resist the temptation. What you get in volume is usually about half of what you'd get in a regular sized bag, and costs nearly, if not, twice as much.

Block the whining out of your head, (half the time when you say something they do it to you, so I'm sure you can manage). Go for two or three regular sized bags, a box of sealable sandwich bags and some chip clips. It may take a few extra minutes when packing lunches, but, you can always have the kids prepare their chips themselves. For the little ones, the excitement of helping pack their own lunches the night prior often can outweigh the idea of the prepackaged little bags.


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Saving the Clear and the Green Stuff

This is especially for those of you who still wash your dishes by hand. I never understood putting dish detergent in the dishwater. Maybe it's just me, hopefully not. I also don't understand letting water run straight down the drain while washing dishes. And for some strange reason unbeknownst to me, the way I wash dishes seems to irritate a few. Maybe because it's different, people in general, don't welcome change.

I put the soap on the rag or sponge, simply because soap in water is very diluted. I start out with only dishes in the sink, making the water do double duty. --A: Since I can stand it, the water's always really hot, thus soaking the dishes sitting in the sink. B: Also because it's hot, I can rinse with only a thin spray of running water. Scrub, rinse, drainer, but once the water gets about halfway up to the top, I change it up a bit. I shut the water off, scrub the dishes and set them on the counter, suds still intact. And when I run out of counter space, I begin rinsing those, and continue this pattern until either the sink gets full or I run out of dishes.

True, this requires a bit of available counter space, or a double sink. You have to wipe the counter down real good to catch all the water, but you'd have to clean the counter anyway. Some may think this way is a waste of time, but really, it's about the same or faster then the way most people I know do it. And with the water running mostly when rinsing dishes, it not only serves it's purpose, but also saves money, and is better for the environment.


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New for You

The subject of the day is consignment or by another name, second hand clothing. Some people avoid these types of stores like the black plague, but believe me, it's not half as bad as it sounds. For some, such as myself, it can be just as exciting as buying new clothes. When you take this route, you have every excuse to spend hours and hours in the store, because in effect, you're treasure hunting.

There have been a number of times when I've found clothes with the tags still on them, which as far as I'm concerned, that makes them new. You wouldn't believe how many pieces you can find that people bought, and never even wore. As a matter of fact, I personally know a few. I'm sorry, but you won't find anything like that in my closet. I made a strict rule for myself a long time ago. If I don't love it, I won't buy it, new or used, that also includes clothes for my kids too.

Another rule, wash or dry clean before you wear, even the ones with tags still on them. They stay in the bag until they go into the wash. I'll have say, sometimes the stores smell funny, I'll let you guess why. And others still, please take no offense if you're of the older persuasion, smell like old peoples' houses. But a deal is a deal. There are even a few that have a discounted section, and sell by the pound rather than on racks.

At first, I wondered why that was, but then I thought about it. It benefits both you and the store. These are the new arrivals. So you get first dibs and a cheaper price, while the employees don't have to spend any time sorting and stocking these items. They don't have to tag them, hang them or separate into men's, women's, children's, sizes, colors, seasons or name brand.

And in these sections, when you can find name brand, you get the best deals. If stocked, these clothes can cost about as much as a cheaper similar brand bought new. But in the back, just a fraction. When you go, make sure you have about three hours to spend, because most of your time will be spent moving unwanted items out of the way. It's best to know what you want before going.

Check for holes and stains and try out zippers and buttons. And most important, make sure you know what sizes you're looking for, since many of these places don't have changing rooms. And personally, I wouldn't recommend it anyway. But don't think because something's not new, that people will know, even your most fashion forward friends.

I've been asked many a time, where'd I get this or that, and with a mischievous smile, I can say Salvation Army or the Village Thrift Store, leaving most with a shocked look on their face. Most of my favorite pieces were bought second hand. Lastly, if you think you've found half of a suit or two-piece outfit, keep looking. Sometimes they get separated. I once found a two-piece pin stripped suit that fit perfectly. I did the math, and at most it cost me $2, who knew?


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Lights Out

Many don't think about all the extra energy they use, or in many cases waste, along with their hard earned pay. I do. I've recently started using the energy efficient bulbs and all, can't say much about it just yet. But, there is something I have done for a long time, which not only saves, but in effort, only takes a few seconds to do.

When I leave a room, I shut off the lights. Now, I'm not over the top about it. If I know I will be returning to that room within fifteen minutes or less, I leave it on. Or if it's nighttime, there has to be at least one burning if I'm not going to sleep anytime soon. But in all other cases, I shut them off. I've been trying to get the kids to do it too, but with everything else in life, they're a hard sell.

Quite few years back, I had moved into an apartment in either October or November. Thing was, I've lived in the Midwest my whole life, and as I like to put it, I'm allergic to the cold, plus I had an electric stove. So then, I really couldn't tell what or how much I was saving since I rarely left when I didn't have to work. But, ah, then summer came. I was working 40 hours a week and sometimes more. The point is, I always found somewhere to be during the warmer months rather than at home, as many of us do.

When I got that first late spring, early summer bill, I couldn't believe it. Now, the month before, it was kinda on the low side, and in a way, I figured it was just a fluke. Nope, not at all. My first May or June electric bill was no more than $35! While living there, I even had one as low as $19. Of course, shutting off everything else in the house helps too. --That means fans and air conditioning people, not set to low, but completely off.

Yeah, I know, you hate to come in from the summer heat into a hot house, but that's what refrigerated drinks are for. --Besides, going in and out between the two extremes can actually facilitate summer colds. So, just remember, the next time you walk in the door to instant comfort, think about how much money you could have saved while you were working for it!


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Every Drop Counts

A few hours ago I was washing dishes, and was doing something I've done for as long as I can remember, even when I was a teen. I had taken two half bottles of dish detergent and combined them. Now, I'm no mathematical analyst, but common sense tells me that it saves me money. Call me frugal because I save mere change per bottle, but not cheap.

As, I stood there, washing away, I watched as the upside down bottle's contents drip into the other. And it is not the only thing I do that with; clothing detergent, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, I'm sure there's more, but nothing else comes to mind. I've been up and down over the years, and it's never mattered how well or poor I've done financially, I always do it.

It's become a habit that I don't even think about doing, I just do it. That's what budgeting and saving is about, forming good habits so they become second nature. Each and every cent you save stays in your pocket, until you spend it. Make each one count, because remember, $1,000,000,000 starts off at $.01.

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Dilute it!

I've been away for a while, but I'm still alive and kicking. Today, we're gonna talk about diluting. I admit, I'm guilty, but not until recently, did I realize it's probably saved me more money than I think. I started doing it years ago, but at the time, it had nothing to do with money, but with sugar. And I'm not gonna lie, I don't do it often now, though I should. And for those you that just never really thought about it, it can help.

When my kids were toddlers, and didn't know the difference between fruit punch and fruit juice, I always bought juice, the real thing, not the 5 or 10% stuff or whatever. I like juice myself, especially apple juice. I always noticed it was a little too sweet for me, not so much to them of course, cause let's face it, kids love sugary foods and drinks, no matter how sweet or terrible they may taste. At first, I chalked it up to my tastes were just changing.

Then I thought back to when my brother was little. We're 12 years apart, and I spent a lot of time waiting on him hand and foot, actually, we were practically attached at the hip until he was about 6 or 7-years-old. Anyway, I used to dilute nearly everything I gave him except for milk, and would even talk my younger sister into distracting him while I added the 'special ingredient'. That way, he wasn't having a fit, and I felt better about it. After a while, he caught me a few times, and it didn't really bother him. As a matter of fact, if I forgot, he would even ask me to add water.

Anyway, so I started doing that with my own kids. Made it real simple, I let the first bottle get about 1/3 to 1/2 way empty, and filled the empty space with water and shook it up, all the while, when I did give them some juice, I would add water to each cup. Then, when that bottle was empty, I rinsed it out, and added juice from the new bottle, then added water to both. From then on, I could add water by the bottle, rather than by the cup.

This way, not only was I lowering their sugar intake, but saving money also. Besides, I figured they got more vitamins from an actual apple than from the juice anyway. One thing is, with orange juice, best you can do is 1 part water to 3 parts juice, otherwise, it doesn't taste so great. And if something doesn't taste good to me, I won't give it to them, unless they like it, ew. One thing to keep in mind, start with small amounts of water, like 1 part to 7, so they're less likely to notice the change, especially if your kids are older.



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